


The Sound of Birds

by JustALittleProblem



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Angst, Happy Mark Day, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-02
Updated: 2018-08-02
Packaged: 2019-06-20 11:27:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15533208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustALittleProblem/pseuds/JustALittleProblem
Summary: Mark wakes up (like he does every morning) to the sound of the obnoxious ringtone he’s set for Donghyuck. He doesn’t know why he expects today to be any different.





	The Sound of Birds

**Author's Note:**

> So... I wrote and angsty fic for Mark's birthday. What did you expect to be honest? Sorry every one, I'll try harder next time. ^^;;
> 
> Severely un-beta'd since I posted as soon as I finished. Feel free to yell at me if there are any mistakes. :)

He’s barely conscious, but Mark can clearly hear the sound of Red Velvet’s ‘Happiness’ blasting through the crappy speakers on his phone. He groans from his comfortable position and reaches out lazily to paw at his phone, swiping to answer the call without once looking at the device. 

 

“Are you awake, dumbass?” Donghyuck’s voice comes out sounding like tin and amusement, and Mark can only grunt vaguely in response. “Happy birthday. Jeez, it’s your birthday and you won’t even wake up properly.” His voice floats in and out of Mark’s ears, sounding both infinitely close and unreachable. He sniffs in distaste and brings the phone closer to his face. 

 

“I’m awake,” he mumbles, not even able to convince himself of the fact. “I’m awake, and I’m about to get out of bed. Will I see you later?” 

 

There’s a quiet humming on the other end, as if Donghyuck has to think about this question. “I have to go,” he finally replies, suddenly sounding oddly fatigued. “I’ll see you later. I love you.” He hangs up before Mark can say it back, and Mark is left alone with the relentless beeping of a disconnected line. 

 

~

 

“Hey kiddo,” Taeyong greets as his brother stumbles down the stairs. “Happy birthday! I made pancakes with those rainbow sprinkles you like in them, they’re on the table.” 

 

“Those are Donghyuck’s favourites, not mine,” he grumbles back, and turns his back to the kitchen so fast that he doesn’t notice Taeyong freeze. Despite his statement, Mark still gobbles down all five of the confetti pancakes in record time before running back upstairs to grab his backpack. When he comes back down, Taeyong is smiling blankly at the stove even though he finished cooking fifteen minutes ago. Mark gives him a weird look, but shrugs off his brother’s weird behaviour and shoulders his bag on. “I’m going to visit Donghyuck tonight, don’t wait up for me. Thanks for breakfast!” 

 

He’s out the door without waiting for Taeyong’s response, so of course he misses the small tears falling from Taeyong’s eyes and the whispered ‘ok’ in response. 

 

~

 

**[08/02/2018 07:23]** Mark: I’m on my way to school, I’ll text you after

 

**[08/02/2018 07:30]** Mark: I’m at school. I love you, see you later 

 

Mark puts his phone away as he enters morning class. Donghyuck hasn’t responded yet, but he knows that his boyfriend likes to sleep in when he has late classes so he doesn’t bother keeping his phone out to wait for a response. As he looks up from putting his phone away, he spots Jeno waving wildly from the corner of the classroom in his usual seat. He feels himself smile and waves back just as enthusiastically before making his way there. 

 

“Happy birthday man!” It’s Jaemin who speaks first, though Jeno is the first one out of his seat to wrap Mark in his annual bear hug. “The big two zero. How does it feel?” Mark laughs his way out of Jeno’s arms, reaching out to slap Jaemin on the back. 

 

“Not any different from being nineteen. It’d be more fun to be a kid again, to be honest.” Jaemin and Jeno both get a kick out of his response, giggling quietly to themselves and filling Renjun in on the joke when he finally arrives, five minutes before the class is actually supposed to start. 

 

“Sorry,” Renjun mutters as he squeezes past both Jaemin and Jeno to sit next to Mark. He smiles as he sits down, but it feels strained. He takes his time setting up his station, pulling out his notebook and colored pens. The professor has already started the lesson when Renjun leans into him, whispering quietly while Jaemin throws him suspicious looks. “Happy birthday. Kun needs to talk to you.” 

 

Mark frowns. Kun hasn’t needed to see him since The Accident, though he supposes he’s been lucky that it’s been so long. He nods slightly to show Renjun that he’s heard and sees the other slump in relief, like carrying the information was a burden. He feels Jaemin burn question marks into his skull for the remaining half hour, but after class, Renjun shares A Look with his boyfriends and they back off without questions. Mark shrugs it off and waves goodbye with a promise to visit later as the group separates for the day. 

 

~

 

“Renjun said you wanted to see me?” Mark sets his backpack down on the couch in the Qian’s basement, a place Kun affectionately called his laboratory. Kun is sitting at his computer when Mark comes in, fingers working tirelessly at the keyboard as lines and lines of code cover the screen. He doesn’t even look up when Mark enters, only pausing briefly to mumble a quiet hello before turning his attention back to his screen. Mark doesn’t bother waiting on the couch, heading towards the coffee machine to make himself comfortable. 

 

Mark is holding onto a keurig-brand latte with his phone in his hand, frowning into the screen when Kun finally turns to him. He’s not exactly smiling, but his expression is pleasant and totally subverts the emotional turmoil tumbling in Mark’s stomach. He’s upset that Donghyuck hasn’t replied yet, seeing that it’s three in the afternoon, but he tries to not let it show on his face. He types out another quick message and puts his phone away, forcing a smile as he turns to face one of the most respected engineers of their generation. 

 

Kun had made leaps and bounds in the research of biotechnology, including the sound engineering of artificial intelligence. Although he couldn’t engineer anything that would create its own unique thoughts, Kun was able to create an application that pieced together a mix-match of words by an individual using old recordings to regenerate a cued response that would inflect and intonate like a normal person. Countless articles called it a voice chimera. Kun and his peers called it a miracle. His research and successful implementation of such a unique study won him many accolades, but he later discontinued his research for reasons unknown to the public. Even Mark didn’t know why Kun stopped, only that Renjun told him he lost interest in the face of a moral complication. 

 

“Renjun tells me that Donghyuck called you this morning? And wished you happy birthday.” Kun’s voice betrayed none of his emotions, and even his face was a careful, positive neutral. Mark nods in response, feeling nervousness creep up along his spine. He barely remembers the last time he was here, though it couldn’t have been longer than a year or two ago. “Have you spoken to him recently?” 

 

‘Yes,’ Mark wants to scream. ‘I talk to him every day, of course I do.’ What comes out instead is a choked sound, one he doesn’t remember giving his throat permission to make. He coughs lightly and tries again. “Yes, I talk to him at least in the morning and before I go to bed. Sometimes I have to call throughout the day to check on him. He never leaves his house anymore.” Kun nods and jots down Mark’s response mindlessly, though he looks lost in thought. He twirls his pen and seems to have an internal debate before nodding once, setting his clipboard aside and reaching out. 

 

“Can I see your phone?” As if Kun senses his reluctance, he gives a small smile and pries the device gently out of Mark’s hands. He taps on it briefly, unlocking it and giving it a cursory review before sighing and setting the device back into Mark’s waiting palm. “You should see someone,” Kun advises seriously. Mark nods even though he has no idea what Kun is talking about. See who, he wants to ask, but he sees the chance for freedom and leaves quickly before Kun can say anything else, shouting goodbyes as he bursts out of the basement and into the waiting sun. There’s someone waiting for him, after all.

 

**[08/02/2018 15:07]** Mark: I’m coming to visit tonight. Don’t go to sleep yet. I love you, I love you, I love you. 

 

~

 

Mark dials Donghyuck’s number as he drives over to where he is, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel as the phone rings and rings and rings. He’s not worried though because Donghyuck always picks up. Always, always, always. 

 

“Hey, loser.” Donghyuck’s voice is tired and quiet over his car’s speakers. He thanks God for bluetooth and turns the volume up a little louder. 

 

“I’m on my way over,” Mark says simply. He waits patiently for a response, since he knows that Donghyuck sometimes takes awhile to organize his thoughts. His patience is rewarded a minute later, when Donghyuck’s melodious voice fills the car with the best kind of music. 

 

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Lately, Donghyuck always seems to sound tired. Mark hopes that his visit will make him feel a bit better, but lately that’s just how Donghyuck has been. Tired, tired, tired. “I have to go,” Donghyuck says, somehow sounding more fatigued than he did earlier. “I’ll talk to you later. I love you.” And maybe Mark imagines it, but Donghyuck’s voice wavers the way it does when he cries as he says goodbye and hangs up.

 

~

 

The sun is just starting to set when Mark makes it to his destination. He stopped by a flower shop on the way, smiling brightly at the florist even if they only had a sad one to share in return. 

 

(“I’m assuming it’s the usual,” she had hummed, putting together a bouquet of lilies and sunflowers. Mark reaches for his pocket to pull out his wallet, but the woman raises her free hand to stop him. “On the house today. Happy birthday.” Mark wondered why there had been tears in her eyes.) 

 

He pushes open the gate, weaving his way through to Donghyuck’s side with the practice of someone who has been here a thousand times. He ignores the huge sign at the front, the one reading  _ CEMETERY _ in huge block letters, in favor of reaching Donghyuck faster. He always feels like he should be prepared when he reaches, but the reality of the cruelty of life hits him hard every time. He feels a sob claw its way up past his throat but chokes it down just as fast because there are words he needs to say first. So, he drops the bouquet on the ground in front of the headstone reading ‘ _ Lee Donghyuck. Brother. Son. Lover. _ ’ and pulls out a genuine smile, channeling the final rays of the sun just for this boy who abandoned him too soon. 

 

“I love you too, Lee Donghyuck," he whispers as the first tears start to roll down. "I love you, I love you, I love you." 

 

**Author's Note:**

> If you made it this far, please leave a comment if you cried so I know what a good job I've done. :) 
> 
> Also! Kudos if you felt the angst! I honestly have no idea if this came out the way I wanted it to.


End file.
